Day 6
Not sure where to start - up early to meet our translator
at the
Mosque and visit another village - he did not show and we
could not
contact him.
Army had come in night and occupied three houses - one in
central
Balata. Around 9am the army came down to the northern entrance
to
Balata so we hung around, watched, took pictures - lots of
boys
throwing stones - then army left - came back 5 minutes later.
Then
they came to the southern entrance and there were many boys
throwing
rocks - the army used stun grenades and tear gas. A familiar
smell.
One brave lad picked up a tear gas canister and threw it back
and the
army had to retreat to avoid it. Then they entered the camp,
presumably to evacuate the soldiers in the occupied house
- fighting
got fierce, army shooting up the streets and into the air.
Then we heard some women wailing and a man carried a young
child out
into the street right next to us who was covered in blood
- it felt
like it was in slow motion - he walked up to an army jeep
and held
the child up to the window and then walked up the middle of
the road
towards an ambulance - the women were tearing at their hair
and
screaming - then amidst all this, the unbelievable happened,
a jeep
raced up to the man carrying the child, drove in front of
him and
pinned him to a shop front, while another jeep blocked the
way of the
ambulance. All hell broke loose then, a lot of gunfire and
many
youths attacking the jeeps - I am shocked that no one else
got shot.
The ambulancemen managed to get the man and boy into the ambulance,
but the jeeps manouvered again to block the ambulance, but
had to
deal with a lot of very angry boys with more stun grenades
and tear
gas and the ambulance managed to manouver out and get away.
The boy had been sitting at his window and had been shot through
the
throat, he was pronounced dead on arrival at Rafidia hospital
in
Nablus. I hope to God this was an accident and he had not
been
targetted on purpose by a soldier.
I went with a local organiser/cameraman to the hospital to
see the
family. I can't find the words to say here how I feel, except
numb
and dreamy now writing this to you. Once more, what can I
say to
these people when they ask me why? How can this be happening?
What
had this boy done? Why did the soldiers block the mans way
and the
ambulances way? Why is the world allowing this to happen?
I am
usually lost for words and hope that a touch on the arm and
a
sympathetic look will mean something. What does it mean to
say that
I am so very sorry, I am so ashamed of my government, could
I say
that I share some of their pain, that I have three young daughters
myself, and am trying with others to raise awareness back
home, doing
my little bit to stop this madness. I don't know.
The boy, Khaled, was cleaned up and wrapped up, paperwork
was sorted
and then we took him back to Balata in a convoy, to his house,
then
to the mosque and then to be buried in Balata's overcrowded
burial
ground. The third burial in this refugee camp since I have
been here
this week.
The press reports are saying that it was Palestinian gunmen
who
accidentally shot the boy while resisting the army and that
they
offered to take the boy to hospital in an army ambulance but
it was
refused, lies, damn lies, the usual story. I was right there
and I
only saw the army firing randomly about and stopping the man
and the
ambulance.
If you find all this hard to believe I can understand, I
was there
and still a big part of me is wondering if this can really
be true?
can people really do these things? did I imagine it or am
I
dreaming? I feel so grateful in this moment that my three
daughters,
you, my local community, are relatively safe in the UK.
I feel tired in this moment, though I remember feeling so
angry
earlier and then really sad and lost and then okay and calm.
While I
was sitting on the floor in the hospital trying to figure
it all out
some students came up and talked to me and said I had beautiful
eyes,
which cheered me up a little. Little Khaled, 6 years old,
was shot
around 10am and his precious lifeless body was in our earth
by 4pm
and what can I say about this here and now?
I am sitting here wondering what more to write about today
- perhaps
about my fear? or about the food I ate, or try to find something
positive? or about how I miss being home and away from all
this, yet
I cannot imagine life there either. Or about how things can
never be
the same again and what can I do about these things? and yet
life
goes on here - I don't know how these people cope - but they
do - a
tribute to the human spirit I guess. I could get sarcastic
or
humourous or place blame - but you can make your own minds
up about
these events.
Apart from being so grateful for just being here, many palestinians
plead with me to raise awareness at home, talk to people.
So if
anyone wants to have a talk, see some pictures and share some
time
discussing this situation please let me know. I will be back
after
easter. I'll even sing a few songs for you to lighten things
up if
you want - having said that most of my songs aren't really
that jolly
so you may want to think a bit about this offer.
By the way, as of this afternoon we are six, just for two
nights, and
then three again, it feels good to have a bigger group here
and see
old friends.
Before I sign off I'll tell you a little about yesterday
- day 5
Up early - met our translator and off across the hills to
sneak into
the village of Sarra which to our knowledge had not been visited
for
6 months or more. 8 hours of walking/climbing on such a beautiful
day felt good. The village is completely cut-off with
roadblocks/checkpoints/watchtowers - the army controls the
water and
electricity and has warned the mayor that if there are any
problems
they will switch both off. Made some good contacts and met
many
people who want to have a demonstration and challenge the
army - they
said the army could turn off their power and water anytime
anyways
(and they wouldn't need an excuse) and they are fading away,
so
better to resist in some way and do something now. We were
spotted on
our way out and the soldiers shouted at us, but we just ran
off into
the village and tried another way out and I guess the army
didn't
think it worth pursuing.
Many villages are dying - they cannot farm their land or
get goods to
market, massive unemployment as people cannot get to Nablus
or
anywhere else for work. For farmers to go to their land they
have to
spend several hours walking to a big checkpoint and waiting
to get
permission EVERY DAY. And then they will only get permission
to go
to their land for 1 or 2 hours on that day.
They are not starving but things are bad and they are completely
at
the mercy of the local soldiers. There are regular incursions
by the
army into the village of 3,000, regular beatings, they have
lost men
and boys and at least 30 are in prison for long periods for
resisting
the occupation.
We got home to find out that a local young man had been blown
apart
in his car - we don't seem sure about whether he blew himself
up
preparing a bomb, or the israelis rigged a car bomb or whether
it was
a missile from an (american) Apache attack helicopter. He
was buried
by the time we returned.
So there you have it - nearly a week of life in Balata refugee
camp -
and there is much I have not covered, it seems like forever.
Perhaps
have a drink for me - it's dry out here. and if you want to
please
send some love and hugs to the people here today.
with love and hope
Marcus xxxx
Top
Hello again
I am copying below the Reuters report
of the shooting of the six
year old boy in Balata and commenting on each part as an
eye
witness - please circulate as widely as possible. My comments
start with my name and are bracketed and in italics. (This
formatting may be lost.)
NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - A six-year-old
Palestinian boy has
been shot dead after a Palestinian gunman opened fire at
an Israeli
military jeep during a raid in a West Bank refugee camp,
the Israeli
army says.
(Marcus - there is no proof that a
gunman opened fire on a military
jeep.)
Television footage taken of the incident by
foreign television
networks showed a gunshot ricocheting off an armoured Israeli
jeep
towards an upper floor of an adjacent building.
(Marcus - no such footage has been
seen by anyone, or broadcast)
Twenty seconds later women's screams could
be heard. Moments later,
a Palestinian holding the limp body of a boy with blood
on his face
and neck is seen outside the building. A Palestinian gunman
was
filmed in an alley minutes before the incident.
(Marcus - The footage of the supposed
gunman is available on the web
and is extremely hazy and unclear, unlike the rest of the
footage of
this incident which is broadcast quality - why?)
Palestinian residents said the dead boy, Khalil
Walwil, was killed
either when soldiers on a nearby hill opened fire at the
building
while he stood by a window or when troops shot at Palestinians
throwing stones at Israeli forces in the camp.
(Marcus - Under these extreme circumstances
we cannot be sure
exactly whose bullet killed Khalil - but either way if Israel
was
not illegally occupying Palestine and the army had not been
illegally occupying houses and indiscriminately shooting
live
ammunition in a small and heavily populated area this would
not have
happened.)
An Israeli military commander, who was in
the jeep that came under
fire, said the boy was killed when a Palestinian gunman
in an alley
shot at his jeep as forces left Balata camp. The commander
said none
of his troops returned fire.
(Marcus - This statement is completely
untrue - The boy was shot
well before the army left Balata camp - and the army were
shooting
live ammunition around throughout the raid.)
"I did not fire back at him (the gunman)
because his fire was not
accurate," said the commander, who under military regulations
could
only be identified as Lieutenant Colonel Guy.
(Marcus - This statement is not only
untrue but does not make sense -
if the gunmans bullet was supposed to have ricocheted off
the jeep
then his fire was accurate.)
"About 10 seconds after that I heard
from behind my jeep terrible
screams from a Palestinian woman. I turned around and I
saw a family
with a few people screaming. The father held his son who
was covered
in blood and they ran to ambulances there".
(Marcus - the man walked up the road
towards an ambulance, what this
paragraph fails to mention is that, unbelievably, one jeep
drove in
front of the man and tried top block his way and moments
later this
jeep along with another blocked the ambulance.)
Television footage showed Palestinians throwing
stones at Israeli
army vehicles as they drove through the camp minutes earlier
but
there was no indication the soldiers had responded.
(Marcus - we have footage showing
the army firing off at least 20
live rounds and numerous sound bombs and tear gas canisters
throughout the incursion.)
The boy's uncle Said Walwil said his nephew was
killed when troops
on a nearby hill fired at the house. Other residents said
the boy
was killed when soldiers fired at stone thowers.
The boy died of his wounds on the way to hospital.
Palestinian
medics said that soldiers stopped the ambulance transporting
the boy
to hospital for 15 minutes.
(Marcus - Why was the ambulance stopped?
This is immoral and
illegal.)
The army said it was checking the report. A spokesman
said that
Lieutenant Colonel Guy had offered to transport the boy
to hospital
in a military ambulance but family members had refused.
(Marcus - None of this makes sense
- several of us saw the whole
incident - no such discussion and refusal took place between
the
army and the family. How could the army imagine that one
of their
ambulances could have driven into Nablus? Also there was
a
Palestinian ambulance right there which the army should
have allowed
to do its work instead of obstructing it.)
Israeli soldiers raided the camp to search
for militants planning
suicide bombings, but left empty-handed.
(Marcus - the army had entered Balata
camp on the previous night and
occupied three houses - one in central Balata near where
Khalil was
shot. We have clear video footage of a jeep driving to the
junction
where the ambulance was later boxed in and picking up 4
soldiers a
few minutes before the boy's shooting.)
In Peace
Marcus
Top
Days 7, 8, 9
Hello again
am in Balata camp writing to you, it is warm here now - very
hot in
the days. I have just washed with a bucket of hot water and
put
clean clothes on for the first time in a few days and I feel
brand
new. Am nicely tired and spaced out and things have been quiet
in
the camp since the boys shooting.
Things are tense though, people are still waiting for the
response to
Yassins murder and the counter-response to this, so it goes
on.
We are now three again, and not sure what we will be up to
in the
coming days - the plan was to continue the village visits
out west of
nablus, but it seems there are some protests going on south
of here
on friday and they are calling for support, so we will talk
tonight
and we may go there.
Days 7 and 8
Can't remember the details of these two days - they felt
quite
dreamy - mainly spent doing press stuff, writing reports and
being
around in the camp and sharing time and listening to people.
Things
are back to normal now - life goes on, what else can they
do? It
does scare me sometimes though - the pressure on these people
and how
much love and time and resource it will take to heal things
here.
Day 9
Tuesday today - Land Day here in Palestine, a big rally in
Nablus.
So great to see people putting up banners and music in the
streets.
The school bands were out drumming and marching around the
Duwar (the
center of nablus with a big roundabout and the markets) as
were the
hooded resistance fighters - a strange juxtaposition.
I had planned to spend some time in town and then buy some
goodies
for a family who I have been spending time with and who
have "adopted" me, and visit them for lunch - but
we got a call
around 11:30 that the army had surrounded a block of flats
by the
university. So off we went.
Some press and medics/ambulances were already there, picture
the
scene - a wide road - a couple of jeeps and the press/medics
outside
the block, two more jeeps one up each end of the road about
100 yards
away from the block - stopping people from getting to the
block. We
were stopped from going up the street, the soldier I spoke
to in the
jeep (lets call him "Freddie") looked so scared
and stressed I didn't
want to push him. So we creeped around the back and joined
the
press/medics. Some people were lined up outside the block
with their
hands above their heads and about a dozen soldiers were swarming
in
and around the block. Just up from our huddle there was a
medical
centre where a few dozen students and medics were sheltering.
The other guys were taking video footage and notes, I tried
to engage
with the soldier in the jeep, he had had orders not to talk,
but he
looked scared and confused too, he finally gave me his name
- Leo,
and he was shifting between being angry and apologetic - he
has a
responsibility being here and for his actions, but my heart
went to
him in those moments. Anyways, I didn't want to get arrested
so I
gave up gracefully and joined the others.
So much happenned, I will give you the highlights - and the
events of
today represent yet another escalation of this conflict and
the
Israeli army's ever increasing violence and flouting of international
law and the Geneva convention.
There was a LOT of gunfire during this raid, both from the
army and
resistance fighters.
They must have decided to clear the area, but of everyone,
including
the press and medics, "Freddie" was getting really
mad when we were
not moving, He wanted to take our passports and try to arrest
us, but
we just walked away pretending not to understand and he didn't
want
to get out of his jeep because of the Palestinian fighters.
Then he got really mad and, unbelievably, he used several
stun
grenades and tear gas to move us all away up the street. This
is the
first time I have seen this aggression towards a huddle of
press and
medics. This was very worrying - that they really really didn't
want
us to witness what they were doing.
There were several groups of "Shebab" - the young
boys/men throwing
rocks at the jeeps, so they were being given grenades/gas/warning
shots and this was going on in three places in addition to
a raging
battle around the flats. We worked our way around to join
the group
at the medical centre just up from the flats, by this time
the army
had brought in the border police and reinforcements, and some
Palestinians were arguing about going to the flats - there
were
familes and children in them. Our friend/translator lost it
a bit
and walked up to the jeeps holding his arms out and the soldiers
trained their guns on him and he had to be restrained and
dragged
back by the medics (twice). We all dived for cover behind
walls or
under ambulances a couple of times when the gunfire got bad.
Thank
god no one was shot. We heard later that two soldiers were
hit but
not badly.
And so it went on, until the soldiers had ransacked and shot
up the
flats (with all the residents inside) and not found the people
they
were looking for. They shot up some fuel tanks which were
luckily
made of plastic so they didn't explode. Three palestinians
were
injured in the raid, one because the soldiers exploded a stun
grenade
between his legs.
I felt scared today and very tense and was wondering what
I am doing
here and will I come home early, but I feel better now.
Another day in the West Bank.
With love and in peace
Marcus x
Days 10, 11, 12
Hello again
Hope all is well wherever you are, am still in Balata refugee
camp
Day 10
Still mostly quiet in the camp, got a call from our
friend/translator late morning saying that there were problems
at
Beit iba checkpoint (c/p) out west from Nablus so we headed
off
there. The schools run from Saturday to Wednesday here, so
on Wed's
there are thousands of students leaving Nablus to go home
to
surrounding towns/villages and they return on Saturday.
Got to c/p to find hundreds of (mainly) students waiting,
some being
detained, some there since 8/9am. Army were letting most of
the
women, children and older men through but processing the young
men
very slowly. Many more people were arriving to the c/p from
Nablus.
Things felt tense and soldiers seemed tense and stressed out.
Army
were verbally and physically abusing some young men.
Tried to engage with army - soldier called Aron - not much
luck - he
took my passport at one point, said I was not allowed in Nablus
and
walked away and wanted me to go with him. I didn't follow
so he
came back and luckily I managed to convince him to give my
passport
back. I thought this was my moment of arrest and deportation.
Anyways, called for help to various agencies. 6 Israeli women
came
from jerusalem and had free reign at the checkpoint, which
was fun
to watch, and things did seem to improve until they left.
Then things turned and they stopped all the women and confiscated
their ID's - very humiliating for the women having bags searched
and things taken. Several hundred women waiting. An hour later
they
handed all the id's back and chaos ensued trying to get them
all to
the right people. More than 100 boys/young men were still
being held.
This ritual humiliation and collective punishment of millions
of
civilians across Palestine is very hard to watch - and makes
little
sense - why would someone who had no id or was wanted or was
carrying anything go through a checkpoint in broad daylight?
The people there thought we had much more influence than
we have
now - people tugging at our sleeves telling us their stories
about
why they must get home soon and could we please please talk
to the
soldiers and get them through. Some with sick/dying family,
pregnant mothers/sisters/partners, some sick themselves. And
we
have been reduced to witnesses and reporters (The friendly
but
useless joke is a popular one). Having to say, sorry, so sorry,
we
cannot really help. They will arrest us - and then we will
be even
less than useless to you.
Sorry if these reports are getting a bit dry, I simply cannot
find
the words here to describe how this felt. How would we feel
in this
position?
The american is sick with fever, leaving me and the canadian.
If
you are wondering why I don't use names it's just in case
these
emails are being read by others and I don't want to incriminate
anyone.
Day 11
Went to Nablus to do reports and so on. The son of the family
we
were with headed off to school and came back after about half
an
hour - said the army "Jesh" were at his school shooting
and firing
tear gas and so they were all sent home. So off we went.
As we arrived near where the army were, some young men were
placing
a bomb in the road as a booby trap for the army vehicles,
so we
moved on from there. Next we bumped into a group of men some
of
whom had guns, so we moved on from there. Don't get me wrong
-
although I wish the resistance was non-violent, this is only
me,
and I fully support the right of the Palestinians to resist
this
illegal and immoral occupying army any way they can - but
I don't
want to get caught in the middle when the shooting starts.
Next we
came to the groups of boys throwing stones and moved past
them to
the medics and ambulances.
Not sure what was going on really, several jeeps outside
a block of
flats shooting around and some palestinians returning fire
- then
there was an almighty explosion, which turned out to be the
palestinian bomb.
There were many groups of young school children about unable
to go
home or to school and wondering what to do - the young girls
becoming upset and some crying and some of the boys becoming
agitated and angry and joining the stone throwers. There is
something so tragic about 7 and 8 year olds throwing stones
at the
army.
Anyways, more time passed, more gunfire, then the army left,
but not
before they shot up a generator which then leaked oil all
down the
street.
Day 12
A strange. cold. misty and windy day today. Me and the canadian
up
and cleaned and tidied the flat and did some washing. Then
off to
Nablus to some reports etc. American still sick.
Ended up watching "Back to the future" on satellite
at someones
house which was a nice escape! Then as we were getting
into "Spartacus" and seemingly having a day off
watching movies
there was lots of gunfire nearby - so off we went. Turned
out to be
a local demo for a martyr - saw some men with guns. Its strange
how moods swing and take you here. My legs were jelly yesterday
with all the gunfire near the school, but I felt fine today
and just
wanted to find out what was going on and was there anything
we could
do. So as we were out we went to the internet cafe and I am
writing this to you.
Its 5:15 and getting dark so we will head back to Balata
soon I
guess.
Feel sleepy and okay - looking forward to bed tonight. It
is so
strange that the Jews are committing this crime - the parallels
between what they are doing and what happenned to them under
Hitler
are big and scary. It is easy to say it will never happen
again,
but it is happenning here slowly but surely - this slow but
sure
ethnic cleansing and erosion of civil liberties.
There has been talk for some time about mass transfers/removals
of
Palestinians to the desert or surrounding countries and many
zionists in power openly support this - they want to clear
all the
Palestinians out. The obscenity of the zionist catchphrase
about
the jews and the holy land - "A people without a land
for a land
without a people" is overwhelming. I wonder what western/our
government would do if this began?
With love
Marcus x
Days 13,14,15
Hi there
From what I am hearing things are very bad in Iraq as well,
and
fighting in Saudi. What a waste of all those lives.
you may be interested in looking at the following website:
<http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.html>
it lists companies that a) actively support israel, zionism
and the
settlements - often to the tune of hundreds of millions
of dollars
per year - and b) some that re-label palestinian goods made
in the
occupied territories as "made in israel".
Day 13
Woke this morning to a call from Nablus saying the army
had come in
the night, blocked all the roads and was in various areas
with tanks
etc occupying houses and arresting people. So off we went.
Managed to get a taxi from Balata as far as the Mucata
- the blown up
remains of the local authority buildings as you enter Nablus
center.
The army had blocked the road there overnight with a five
foot high
pile of rubble. Crossed over and the streets were deserted
apart
from a couple of people tentatively trying to get somewhere.
But no
sign of troops, and it looked like there had been some resistance
because there were some barricades and piles of burning
tyres in the
roads.
Headed for the first medical centre on our route to the
old city.
Seems there had been around 40 arrests and many houses occupied
but
no reported deaths and a only a few minor injuries so far.
Good news
I guess.
As the two of us headed down the next stretch of road the
army came,
saw us and stopped in front of us. We were beckoned across
and asked why we were there. We tried to act stupid and
vague, we
were visiting friends -"Where is your ID?", "oh
sorry we left them in
the old city where we are going now." We didn't want
to hand over our
passports in case they took them. I guess they were scared
to get
out of their jeep because of resistance fighters so they
let us go.
I asked why they were there and what was happenning? He
thought for
a few seconds and I thought he was going to tell me, but
then he said
it wasn't important. I kept my mouth shut but I felt like
saying
that well if it isn't important why the hell are you here
terrorising
this civilian population?
Anyways, we carried on and finally got to our familys house
in the
old city without being stopped again, saw a few more jeeps
and
armoured vehicles on the way. We then decided to go out
and find
some medics and move around with them.
Met a team of three, a man and two girls aged 16 and 17
- they looked
so small and young and were so brave - they had medical
kits and
bright bibs and were moving around the city - as were many
other
teams - to see if anyone needed treatment. So we moved with
them -
first to the Duwar - the centre and then around. It was
like a
transformed city - gone were the people and markets and
bustle. Now
empty, quiet apart from some sporadic gunfire and explosions
and
shouting, and the detritus of resistance, lots of stones
and rocks in
the road, some barricades and piles of burning tyres or
rubbish.
Saw other teams and several army and police vehicles who
ignored us.
We were warned away from some areas because bombs had been
planted in
the road by the resistance. In some places groups of young
men were
stoning the jeeps and the resistance was returning fire
in others.
Did some errands for some old people who needed provisions.
Back to our family late pm - hoping to get back to balata
before dark
but didn't make it so stayed in the old city.This was our
day.
Day 14
Up early today and out on the streets, but it seems the
army had left
overnight and things were mostly back to normal. Two other
internationals arrived today and we met with them and the
local
organisers to update and so on - good news as me and the
american are
leaving in the next couple of days.
It's the americans birthday today - arranged to meet at
the Duwar for
schwarma - his favourite - but the girls are vegans and
I don't think
could handle others eating meat, so we went somewhere else
to have
cake and juice - it was really nice - the locals laid out
a long
table in a room and set the places - and had music - it
was fun and
strange.
So a quiet day mostly - a few gunshots during the evening
and worries
that the army may re-invade - but they didn't come. Spent
the
evening in the old city with our family showing their young
son card
tricks and hanging out which felt normal and calming.
Day 15
Am leaving nablus tomorrow, so am tying things up here
and saying
goodbye to people and to my families in Nablus and Balata
- harder
than I thought - I kept hanging around thinking of reasons
to stay -
had to hold back the tears and got away eventually.
Feel strange - I am leaving here again - with such relief
and guilt.
It does get easier though - the first time I left I wondered
how I
could ever live "normally" again, but it was ok
and life goes on. It
gets easier each time in ways, and not in others. Still,
I know I
will be returning here regularly as long as I am able, and
I am
looking forward to spring turning to summer in England.
What will I miss most? I'm not sure. My families, the refugee
camp
for sure, the old city - definately the food! My friends,
our sense
of being part of something on this planet much bigger than
ourselves,
and our solidarity with our brothers and sisters here. The
sense of
history and strength in the people here, what they have
been
throughand lost, what they know is probably to come, and
how they do
not lose their hopes for peace throughout this.
Oh well, am tired, will finish now, am off in the morning
to a small
village south-east of here called Yanun. A village of about
80
Palestinians surrounded by settlements which has to have
a permanent
international presence because of the violence there. We'll
see if I
get there, (or anywhere), we hear there is total closure
from
tomorrow because of the holidays/passover.
Hope all is well wherever you are, if anyone would like
to come out
with me next time please let me know. It's strange how my
feelings
often have nothing to do with my circumstance - I feel warm
and happy
in this moment.
With much love and in peace
Marcus x
Days 16,17
Hello again,
finally left Balata amd Nablus - felt sad to be saying
goodbye again -
soldiers hardly even looked at me at Huwara checkpoint -
guess they
are only too happy to see the internationals leaving.
Got a shared taxi to Aqrabar and then walked a few km's
into Yanoun
Village. A brief history - Yanoun consists of lower and
upper Yanoun
about 2 km apart, set high in a valley where on a clear
day you can
see right across the Jordan valley to Jordan itself. There
is a
large settlement called Itamar about 6km away, and in recent
years
the settlers have made outposts and built some houses on
all the
hills surrounding Yanoun with lights pointed at the village.
In 2000, 2001 the settlers began seriously terrorising
the villagers,
culminating in a cleansing raid in early 2002. Large numbers
of
settlers came by night, masked and armed. They shot into
houses,
beat people up and forced all the 300 or so residents (mainly
children) to flee their homes to Aqrabar in the middle of
the night.
They said that the village and all the land was now theirs.
A few weeks later with the support of about 20 internationals,
about
80 residents returned to their homes and have been there
ever since
with a continual presence of at least 2 internationals.
Another
family has returned this month bringing the population up
to around
92.
It was a strange couple of days and nights - the other
end of the
spectrum from teh refugee camp. I slept on the roof and
it felt so
special to be out under the moon and stars, watching the
clouds
change shape and roll by and I even saw a couple of shooting
stars,
which are suppossed to be a good omen. It was quiet and
so
beautiful - picture postcard views. However, there are four
problems for the villagers - the israeli army, the israeli
police,
the settler security and the settlers themselves and during
my one
shift they all came.
The police do their patrols and roam around sometimes talking
to
people. The army do exercises and manouvers in the fields
behind the
houses. (They quickly got back in their armoured car and
drove off
when we approached). Settler security comes and goes randomly,
and
the settlers themselves come and do things like threaten
people and
shoot the village animals. All as if they own the place.
Oh, and
there is crazy Victor, a young settler with a gun slung
around his
neck who rides through the village on his motorbike looking
very
nervous, stops, kisses a tree and the ground outside a house,
says a
few prayers and then zooms off again. All miles from a settlement
or
anywhere. It's a mad world.
It felt tense because the outposts are high up and all
around so you
never know if a sniper is following your every move. But
the serious
raids have mostly stopped since their has been an international
presence. However, the outposts are growing and spreading
like a
cancer here so what the future will bring when the village
is
completely surrounded I don't know.
The farmers and herders can use only a very small percentage
of their
land for fear of violent reprisals if they go up any of
the slopes
towards an outpost - and building has been forbidden by
Israel and
the settlers - I find myself in much sadness and disbelief
and
wondering how these people must feel, and what sort of person
does
this to another.
So this is Yanoun, just one of hundreds of villages, towns,
cities
suffering a similar fate. Again I am mainly lost for words
to say
how I feel - I guess you can make up your own mind about
all this.
One thing we have stopped doing is trying to make sense
of it all,
how can people do this? how can the world do nothing? how
can
powerful nations like the US and UK actively support Israel?
Where is
the UN? We would drive ourselves insane.
There were four other internationals there, it was nice
to hang out
in the evenings with them and the locals and share food
and drink and
chat. In the quiet and beauty here you could almost forget
about
Israel and the occupation.
Anyways
hope all is well wherever you are, take good care
love and peace
Marcus x
Days 18,19
Hi again
I am deep in the old city writing this to you late on Easter
Friday
as groups of pilgrims, some wearing crowns of thorns, walk
by a few
feet away chanting and singing in various languages. Some
are
carrying large wooden crosses between them. Young israelis
with
their skull caps on are moving through the arab quarter
with their
guns, praying.
Outside Damascus gate there are dozens of army and police
harrassing
Palestinians who want to pass in or out. Some were arrested
while I
was waiting to enter. Another young man trying to get in
who argued
when he was not allowed in, was kicked and hit by about
eight
soldiers with guns. Right there on the street for all to
see. I'll
bet they wouldn't be so "brave" without their
boots and guns and
tanks. They seemed not to care who saw. In my experience
of this
trip the army and police here seem totally out of control
- it is
very scary.
I saw and touched The Wall yesterday and today. It felt
completely
overwhelming and stands against everything I am striving
for - love,
peace, reconciliation, healing, connectedness, hope, integration,
communication, trust. People seem to think that the UK is
supporting
the building of the wall - I'll have to look into this -
any info
would be appreciated.
I cannot believe this is happenning here now on top of
everything
else, I went to place in Jerusalem called Abu Dis - the
wall is
going through this district. It's kind of hard to explain
- there
are no passages through the wall planned for this area,
so it is
literally being cut in two. It was previously the busy,
active part
of this area, bustling with people in the shops and market.
It is
now largely deserted. Where the wall has gone along a road
so the
residents no longer have road access to their houses, the
army
simply posted confiscation orders through the letterboxes
for the
gardens. The gardens will be bulldozed and a new road put
along the
back of the houses to connect them to the main road on their
side of
the wall.
Israel tried to put the wall through the playing fields
of the
university. but this was successfully challenged in court,
now it
will go alongside the playing fields - cutting off the university
from half its students on the Jerusalem side.
New settlements are planned on this land that has been
stolen. We
met some of the people who now have this 25 foot high concrete
monstrosity outside their window when they used to look
out for
miles across the valley here. This view will now belong
to the
settlers. Palestine has 22% of the land it had before 1948,
the
Wall will steal another 10% - Palestine will be then be
left with
about 12% of the land it owned before 1948. And it will
only
actually be able to reach and use a few percent of this.
The Wall means people will not get to see family, use their
own
businesses or access employment, medical care, and education.
And
all this while some of the world helps build the wall and
most of it
stands by. Our governments will do nothing - it is up to
us.
After what I have witnessed here over four trips, in this
moment I
feel sick to the stomach of Israel, the settlers, the army
and all
the Israeli's who blindly believe every lie they are told
and
haven't the presence to see what is before them and think
for
themselves. I am going to put my emails and photos from
these trips
together in a book, and I have a title - "Israel -
The Occupier.
Closest to The Holy Land - Futherest from Gods Heart."
If you want more info on the wall check out this website
:
<http://stopthewall.org/>
Gandhi wrote a short and very powerful piece (a few paragraphs)
on
Palestine in 1938 - it really sums up how a lot of people
feel - he
could see what was happenning even then, if you want to
read if you
can acccess it from this link:
<http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2002/06/135119.php>
Well, I'm off to shower and then on to the Jerusalem Hotel
just up
the road from damascus gate, to have some local beer and
listen to
some live traditional palestinian music - my ritual on my
last night
here.
Not sure how to end this - will let you know when I am
safely home.
with love and in peace, and with prayers for us all, especially
Bush
and Sharon,
Marcus xxxx
